Today we’d like to introduce you to Rian Bridges.
Rian, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was 19 years old, and lived in Portland Oregon, I started working at a tanning salon that happened to offer hair services. I ended up working the front desk for the salon side as well. I had always been drawn to the hair and beauty industry, but didn’t necessarily want to work behind the chair. A few years later, I ended up moving back to my hometown, Lafayette Louisiana. I started working front desk at a reputable salon in their downtown area. The owner saw something in me that I didn’t see in me. She wanted me to start an apprenticeship as a cosmetologist. With this program you’re able to start doing hair services on the floor immediately. The owner knew that I had experience with hair extensions and had me offering this service and training her staff on installing them. I was loving taking clients and teaching. I felt like I was really gravitating to my new profession, when my boyfriend at the time had a job offer to move to Dallas TX. I was torn. I really enjoyed where I was at, but also felt like I didn’t really fit into my hometown anymore. Coming from Portland OR, it was a culture shock for me. I decided my boyfriend at the time and I would stay together, and blindly move to Dallas TX, trusting that one day, I will find my groove.
A few months later, here we are in Dallas. I learned that my apprenticeship didn’t transfer to TX, as it isn’t something offered in this state. I found myself working at another tanning salon as an assistant manager. I moved up the ladder with this company only to find that the owner had decided to sell to a corporate company. I felt lost again. Nothing was the same, but I was complacent and stayed.
A couple of my morning tanners knew I used to work in the hair industry and would always tell me that I needed to come work with them, and that I would be great at it. They worked for a haircare distributor. I didn’t really understand what they did, but it seemed fun. I figured this was the universe trying to get me out of my rut. I expressed interest one day when they told me they needed a Dallas rep. I interviewed for the position the next week. The manager that interviewed me told me that she was going to go another direction, as I didn’t have any outside sales experience. I was really bummed out about this, and it motivated me to reach out to other distributors. I heard the same thing from 3 other companies “you don’t have enough experience” “this isn’t really for someone with retail experience”. After hearing no so many times, I just gave up.
One month later, the original company I interviewed with called me back and said they person they hired instead of me, didn’t end up working out. They wanted to interview with me again. I thought this was silly, and this time I have nothing to lose. I had a different attitude coming into it. I met with the sales manager that next week and when she brought up the retail sales thing again I responded with “You know, I think that selling $100 bottles of tanning lotion to people that are only coming in to tan, has to be a lot more challenging than selling hair products to salons that NEED products to function as a business”. She smiled and said, “ok, I’m going to have you ride along with one of our reps and you can see what you think, we will chat after your ride along and see what you think”.
The next week, I rode with a gentleman that had been in the industry for 20+ years. He was very transparent which I appreciated. He took me on a cold call, and the woman we met with had a product line on her shelves that you can buy at any big box retailer. She was very dismissive of us, and I said something to her about being loyal to our industry and support with the right brands, because again I felt that we had nothing to lose. She was snappy back and had us leave. I was beating myself up thinking “great I blew it” and when we got in the car, the guy said “wow, you aren’t scared to call people out, that was AWESOME! I’m calling the sales manager and letting her know we need you”. I was shocked that he said this. I thought he might have been upset with me and was so relieved to hear his feedback and gain his support.
Two weeks later, I was the new Dallas rep for some up and coming product lines. I had no clue what I was doing. They handed me a book of contacts with existing clients and told me to see them all every two weeks. There were hundreds of contacts in this book. I instead called everyone, introduced myself, created email lists, and started building relationships with anyone that would give me time. I ended up hitting my goal in the first month I was with this company. I loved it. I loved my clients, I loved the new challenges, I loved my schedule, my co-workers… everything.
Before I knew it, it had been 2 years. Every month with this company, I had hit my goal. I felt like I really got the hang of things when the owner of the distributor had decided to sell his distributor to another large nationwide distributor. I thought “this can’t be happening to me again.” The new company was a very different culture and that was not in alignment with what I believed in, nor any of my clients or the brands we worked with. I noticed that a lot of our brands were breaking a contract and going in another direction. Clients of mine didn’t like working with this new company and also looked for other brands. I felt lost again. I made a decision that I too must leave. I worked with this company for about 8 months before I made the decision to leave.
One of my clients in Dallas made a position for me as her director of operations and brought me on board. It wasn’t until this point that the brands that were still with the distributor I had left, started to hear about me leaving. I had the two biggest brands reach out to me. One was telling me not to go far, that things are changing and to not get comfortable where I was currently working, and the other company offered me a job immediately. They broke a contract with the distributor and brought me on to cover all of Texas.
At the time, this company had Vidal Sassoons son, Elan Sassoon running the company. I felt so honored that Vidal’s son had seen something in me and wanted me of all people running his product line for all of Texas. I also realized that one person wasn’t going to grow a product line for an entire state like Texas, it would take a team. I reached out to a friend of mine in Houston and hypothetically asked him if he would have interest in covering south Texas. He did, so I connected him with the owner, and we all decided this was a great fit.
After about 3 months, the other haircare company that told me to not get comfortable had reached out to me. This product line happens to be the one I seemed to connect with the most. I believe in their philosophy of sustainable beauty, love their culture, and support they offer salons. I was eager to hear what this guy had to say. He told me that his product line was about to leave that distributor that I had left, and the owner of the new distributor wanted to meet me to cover Dallas again. I thought “why would I leave what I have now? I make decent money, my clients are awesome, I am comfortable”. That part about being comfortable seems to be when I need to keep my eyes open to opportunities. I decided to meet with the owner of the new distributor. When I met him, we seemed to have an instant connection. He seemed different than the other owners I had worked for. I felt heard by him in my interview. We both got a little emotional about how I got started as a rep, and no one wanting to take a chance on me. I felt like this guy petsit. He used to be a rep himself and he started his own company out of his garage 15 years prior. He was warm, easy to talk to, and seemed interested in having be on his team. There were 3 other girls interviewing for the same position. I knew all of them. They all seemed really confident in getting the position. I told myself “it’ll all work out how its supposed to, you’re happy where our at”. The owner told us all that he would let us know within 3 weeks, which was the week of Christmas. He also told us that our first day would be at a hair show in Miami. I decided not to hold my breath, and to be supportive for my fiends also applying for the position. The owner ended up calling me the next day and offering me the position. He said it just felt right and that I came highly recommended by his biggest clients, and the manufactures. I was honored.
A few weeks later, I started my new position on a trip to Miami. I felt like I was dreaming. I really connected with the team and most of all the sales manager. She and I quickly became best friends. She had just moved to Texas from Kansas, to manage the newest state of the companies portfolio. We ended up being roommates even after a few months. For almost an entire year, she covered south Texas while I covered North Texas. It was a lot of work, a lot of travel, and most of all a lot of success. I learned so much from this company. They really taught me how to move two the next level of being a rep. I loved it!
After working for the company for a couple of years, we brought on more reps in Texas, I met a guy, we moved in together and were getting married that fall. The best part was, my fiancé started working with the company as well. He started doing graphic design, media, and creative work. We both loved it.
At a sales meeting that summer, the owner had sprung on us that we were changing the dynamic of our company. He wanted us to start an LLC, and run our markets like our own business. I was so confused, and not stoked on the change. At the time I was a 1099 independent contractor. The previous places I had worked at, I was an employee with benefits. What did it mean to start an LLC? Why was he doing this? I kept a smile on my face and my fiancé and I met with a CPA as soon as we returned home from the meeting. I learned a lot about LLC’s and S-corps. I was kind of in over my head, but being blind sided by this news, I had no choice but to roll with it.
I silently set up my LLC. I had no idea what I was doing, none of us did. I knew that taxes would be different. I knew that I would be confused, but I also knew that it would be ok. We banded together and all setup pour LLC’s. Not sure if we were doing it right or not. Our next sales meeting we signed our new contracts stating that our LLC was partnered with the distributor Modern Salon Services. I wasn’t loud about it. Most of my clients to this day still don’t know that I operate through my LLC. They think I am an employee. The few that I have told think that its great and appreciate my attention to detail and professionalism that I have maintained.
Four years later I have kept up with my LLC and really embraced this concept. I treat my market as my own business. I may be sort of unconventional with how I do some things, but one thing my clients do know is that they are in good hands, I handle everything immediately, and they are always in the know of everything happening. I love what I do, I love who I am partnered with, and I love my clients.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Starting my own business was scary. Taking a chance on yourself is often scary. I didn’t understand what kind of LLC to set up, how the taxes and “write offs” work, what would happen to my business if I was threatened with a lawsuit (which has happened), and how my clients would respond if they found out.
It turns out the worst part was keeping up with paperwork and staying on top of taxes. I have since changed my LLC to an S-corp and my now husband and I are both employees under the s-corp we set up. It made the most sense for us and makes it easier to manage the business.
I have operated my business as if there wasn’t a change at all. I have the same values I always have. Treat every client the same. I don’t have the mentality that the “smaller clients” don’t matter. Everyone matters. I have maintained the same customer service, support, and love. Following my heart and maintaining the relationships has kept the business solid.
Please tell us about Epic Business Building, partnered with Modern Salon Services.
I currently cover the North Dallas territory. I have covered all of North Texas at some point, managed reps, been on our creative team, tech team, and show team, covered the Memphis TN market, taught extension classes, business classes, maintain our companies dropbox, trained new hires and started our social media. I really feel that I have worn almost all of the hats within our organization.
My job is like putting puzzle pieces together for people and being a great messenger. I plan a lot of education to support my clients. This requires understanding logistics of events with international artists, planning their travel, finding models, makeup artists, photographers, meal planning, ordering appropriate products to support the artists, and helping with the flow of a show or class. My normal day to day consists of meeting with salon owners, updating everyone with whats new or any changes, managing rewards programs, and planning support a year in advance. I have new clients wanting to work with me and some not even knowing who I am, that want to work with my brands that I have the rights to. I am constantly meeting new people, helping people grow their business, helping grow their skillsets, and no two days are alike.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I think having a mentor is crucial within any industry. Finding someone that is great at what they do that you respect and strive to be like is so great for personal growth and support. Some people you meet don’t even realize they are a mentor. My best friend has been my mentor, as have some of my clients. Having a group of people that have similar beliefs, that all want to grow makes for the best mentor. I have met some jaded reps, managers, and stylists in my time. It is easy to pinpoint and I tend to keep them at an arm’s length. I try to encourage them and most of the time it’s a lost cause, so I quickly move on. I have allowed people to bring me down in the past, it’s not healthy. Focus on finding people that are positive, motivated, and passionate about what they do. Even if they aren’t within your industry. I have learned that most industries are parallel. I know that I can talk to any sales rep from any industry, and we can all relate to one another and encourage each other.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.modernsalonservices.com
- Instagram: @modern_salon_services
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/modernsalonservices/
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